The expeditions/ dataset provides the spatial and operational backbone of the Pristine Seas Science Database. It registers each expedition and the associated fieldwork—tracking where, when, and how different survey methods were used across the globe.
All other datasets link back to this spatial framework, enabling consistent integration, filtering, and analysis across expeditions, regions, and methods.
Tables
Metadata (expeditions.info)
This table contains metadata for every scientific expedition conducted by the Pristine Seas team. Each row defines a unique field campaign—its country, region, vessel, leadership, dates, and collaborators.
Table 1: expeditions.info Table Schema
Field
Type
Required
Description
exp_id
STRING
true
Unique expedition identifier in the format ISO3_YEAR (e.g., FJI_2025)
number
INTEGER
true
Sequential expedition number (e.g., 43)
name
STRING
true
Official or working expedition name
country
STRING
true
Primary country or jurisdiction visited
start_date
DATE
true
Expedition start date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
end_date
DATE
true
Expedition end date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
lead
STRING
true
Overall expedition lead
science_lead
STRING
true
Lead scientist for the research campaign
vessel
STRING
false
Name of the vessel or platform used
ship_track
STRING
false
WKT LINESTRING representing the ship’s route (optional)
partners
STRING
false
Institutional collaborators (optional)
description
STRING
false
Brief description of expedition goals and scope
notes
STRING
false
Optional free-text notes or admin metadata
Since 2009, Pristine Seas has conducted 47 expeditions across 30 countries and territories, spanning tropical reefs, polar seas, deep trenches, and remote archipelagos.
Figure 1: Timeline of expeditions
Sites (expeditions.sites)
This table defines the primary spatial unit for fieldwork. A site represents a distinct instance where a survey method (e.g., UVS, pBRUV, eDNA) was applied at a specific location and time during an expedition.
While method-specific datasets (e.g., uvs.sites, sub.sites) manage their own site records, the shared expeditions.sites table acts as the central reference for joining across methods, mapping, and spatial summaries.
What is a site?
A site is defined by a unique combination of exp_id, method, and a 3-digit site number (e.g., FJI_2025_uvs_001)
Represents one field survey event using a given method.
May contain multiple stations representing depth strata or replicates
Examples:
A UVS site may include fish and benthic surveys across several depth zones
A pBRUV site consists of a 5-rig open-ocean camera deployment
A submersible site corresponds to a single dive with multiple transects
Sites are the parent unit of stations and serve as the core spatial key for integration across methods.
Table 2: expeditions.sites Table Schema
Field
Type
Required
Description
ps_site_id
STRING
true
Unique site ID (exp_id_method_###), e.g., FJI_2025_uvs_001
exp_id
STRING
true
Foreign key to expeditions.info
method
STRING
true
Field method used (e.g., uvs, pbruv, edna, sub)
region
STRING
true
Broad geographic or administrative unit (e.g., Murat, Chocó, Tuamotu, Duff Islands).
subregion
STRING
true
Intermediate feature within the region such as an atoll, island, gulf, or reef complex
locality
STRING
false
Local named feature such as a village, bay, cove, reef (e.g., Lolieng, Ensenada Utría).
date
DATE
true
Date of the site-level deployment in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
time
TIME
true
Local time of the deployment in 24-hour format (HH:MM:SS)
latitude
FLOAT
true
Approximate latitude (decimal degrees, WGS84)
longitude
FLOAT
true
Approximate longitude (decimal degrees, WGS84)
lead
STRING
true
Name of the lead scientist or survey team lead
notes
STRING
false
Optional comments, metadata, or field observations